Child-resistant safety closure

Abstract

A child-resistant, safety closure for a container having a dispensing end including a threaded neck portion onto which the closure is adapted to be threadably assembled. The closure is of the type having an annular sidewall section having a flexible distal end portion provided with at least one interlocking member adapted to interlockingly engage at least one complementary interlocking member on the dispensing end of the container in such manner that interlocking engagement is achieved when the closure is in a fully closed position on the container neck portion. Removal of the closure requires manual compression of the sidewall at locations straddling the interlocking members coupled with concurrent retrogressive turning movement of the closure. An additive safety feature embodies providing a secondary interlocking engagement when the closure is partially removed. Thus, such manual manipulation ordinarily must be repeated at each successive interlocking position of the closure and is both beyond the ordinary capability of a child or other person of similar mental capabilities. The closure features a frictionally slidable, fluid-tight sealing arrangement which in one aspect is operative to prevent leakage of the container's contents when the closure is in a fully closed position, and which in another alternative aspect is operative to prevent such leakage at and between both the fully closed and the succeeding partially removed interlocking locations of the closure on the container dispensing end.